Seven castoff Navy ship anchors have made a detour to this landlocked state en route to the next adventure.

The genuine anchors each weigh 35,000 pounds — heavier than a family of African elephants — and measure nearly 17 feet by 13 feet. No longer needed by the U.S. Navy, the anchors are being housed at the Government Liquidation warehouse in Oklahoma City until they are sold at auction.

Made from steel, the anchors can be used for their intended purpose, scrapped for metal or employed with more creativity. Warehouse director Stephen Jackson said one potential bidder inquired about using one as decor at a restaurant.

The anchors are being sold separately. Bidding started at $25, but all seven had generated bids of $500 to $1,000 on Thursday afternoon.

Online bids are being accepted through 4 p.m. Friday.

Transporting the anchors here was no easy task. Each was carried by a flatbed tractor-trailer from the West Coast to the Oklahoma City warehouse, which is in the Will Rogers Business Park, an industrial center at 7501 SW 29.

To get the anchors off the truck beds and into storage, Jackson needed a forklift, so Oklahoma City's AIM Relocators brought in the big guns — a 90,000-pound capacity forklift, which itself requires a tractor-trailer as transportation and weighs 80,000 pounds, AIM Manager Juan Mares said.

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by Jennifer Palmer

Investigative Reporter

Jennifer Palmer joined The Oklahoman staff in 2008 and, after five years on the business desk, is now digging deeper through investigative work. She's been recognized with awards in public service reporting and personal column writing. Prior to...